VERVE POETRY FESTIVAL 2019 FULL PROGRAMME SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH (CONTINUED) TICKET INFORMATION Time Event Description Price Location POETRY SPOKEN WORD WORKSHOPS Festival Weekend Pass £35 / £25 Saturday / Sunday Pass £20 / £16 1:30 PM - Burning Eye Whether you want to write poetry for the page or the stage, Burning Eye Books editors £20 Dressing Room 3:30 PM Presents: Bridget Hart and Clive Birnie will demystify the complexities of the poetry world. This £13.50 Two at The Old Getting (con) Rep Theatre Workshops £20 / £13.50 session will provide you with a practical guide to progressing your poetry career and Poetry / Spoken Word Events £6 / £4 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH Published will include inspirational case studies and exercises. Workshop Time Event Description Price Location Concession tickets are available to senior citizens, 2:00 PM - Victoria Four trail-blazing voices, award-winning poets and pillars of the UK poetry community £6 Main Stage at school pupils, students, and people registered as 6:30 PM - Poetry The third Verve Poetry Festival kicks off with our Poetry Parlour. Join us for a poetry £6 Main Stage at 3:30 PM Adukwei Bulley, will read their work and discuss what it means to be a woman poet of African descent £4 (con) The Old Rep disabled or unemployed. 8:00 PM Parlour with event featuring open mic slots and very special poet Andrew McMillan. His debut £4 (con) The Old Rep Theresa Lola, in the current climate of unprecedented interested in African literature. Presented in Theatre Andrew collection physical was the first ever poetry collection to win The Guardian First Book Theatre Rachel Long, partnership with the Brunel International African Poetry Prize. The event will be hosted Our festival passes give you access to all events McMillan Award and his second collection, playtime, is a PBS Autumn 2018 Recommendation. Momtaza by Bernardine Evaristo. (excluding workshops). Please book on to free (*open mic opportunity) Mehri events however, to make sure your seat is secured! This event is sponsored by the University of Worcester. 3:00 PM - Anthony This workshop session asks: when is a poem finished? How do you know what to take £20 Dressing Room All tickets can be purchased at 8:30 PM - RAP Party The R.A.P (Rhythm And Poetry) Party. £6 Main Stage at 5:30 PM Anaxagorou out and what to keep? Anthony Anaxagorou will look at various ways in which you £13.50 One at The Old VervePoetryFestival.com 10:30 PM £4 (con) The Old Rep Workshop can approach editing a poem without subtracting from its essence. The words you (con) Rep Theatre What might eloquent voices from contemporary poetry and spoken word movements Theatre employ and the way in which you organise them are what eventually determines a have to say about hip-hop’s past, present and future? Come chill and find out at Inua poem’s success. Ellams’ Rhythm And Poetry Party... a nostalgic, no-clutter, no-fuss, night of hip-hop- VENUE INFORMATION inspired poems and favourite hip-hop songs. 4:30 PM - Owen In 2018, the BBC broadcast Owen Sheers’ film poem, ‘To Provide All People’, in a £6 Main Stage at 5:30 PM Sheers: To timely reminder to us all of the deep importance of our National Health Service. It is £4 (con) The Old Rep This year Verve Poetry Festival have a new Theatre Provide All a wonderful film! We are thrilled that Owen has agreed to read and perform large home! But don’t worry, we haven’t gone far. In FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH People extracts of this incredible work for us at Verve, and to talk about the themes discussed fact, we’ve defied all odds and movedeven Time Event Description Price Location in the poem and the processes behind making it. This will be an incredible and rarely closer (now about 90 seconds) to New Street seen poetry experience. Station. 2019 sees us take over the entire Old 6:30 PM - Carrie Etter, Our Friday evening poetry headline features three renowned contemporary poets. £6 Main Stage at Rep Theatre on Station Street for four days of at 8:00 PM Amy Key, £4 (con) The Old Rep 6:00 PM - Vahni Our Saturday night poetry headliner features readings by three essential poetic voices £6 Main Stage poetry based tom-foolery. We’re still a stone’s Amy Key’s second collection Isn’t Forever is published by Bloodaxe in 2018 and The Old Rep Jane Yeh Theatre 7:30 PM Capildeo, from around the world. Vahni Capildeo won the Forward Prize for Best Collection £4 (con) throw away from Moor Street and about a fifteen was a Poetry Book Society Wild Card choice. Carrie Etter is a distinguished poet Theatre Sumita for Measures of Expatriation and was shortlisted for a Forward for Venus as a Bear. minute walk from Snow Hill. If you need help and academic who has been shortlisted for the Ted Hughes Award for New Work Chakraborty, Sophie Collins is co-founder and editor of tender journal and author of a brilliant and finding your event when you arrive, look out for in Poetry. Her fourth collection, The Weather in Normal, was a Poetry Book Society Sophie urgent debut, Who is Mary Sue? Finally, we’re delighted that award-winning poet a Verve volunteer in a predictably fluorescent Winter 2018 Recommendation. Jane Yeh was named a Next Generation poet by Collins the Poetry Book Society in 2014. Her third collection of poems is forthcoming from Sumita Chakraborty joins us as inaugural Verve Poet of the Festival. t-shirt - they will help you on your way! Carcanet in March 2019 and we are thrilled to have advance copies on sale. This event is supported by Birmingham City University. This event is supported by the University of Birmingham. 8:00 PM - UniSlam As the UK National University Poetry Slam, UniSlam provides a platform for hundreds £6 Main Stage at 8:30 PM - The The YoniVerse presents ‘Golden Tongue’ a poetry night focused on amplifying the £6 Main Stage at 10:00 PM Presents: of young people to develop their craft and express themselves through poetry. This £4 (con) The Old Rep 10:30 PM YoniVerse voices of South Asian women. It gives them a space to share their stories, and gives £4 (con) The Old Rep Maria year, UniSlam comes back to where it was born: Birmingham. And as part of the Theatre @VERVEPOETRYFEST #VERVE2019 presents: everyone else a place to come listen, engage, and be part of a big energetic poetry Theatre Ferguson, festival special, you’ll hear the winning team and also the winner of the first Verve Golden experience! The YoniVerse is a poetry collective by South Asian women, for South Roger Prize for Best Individual Performance at the competition. Tongue Asian women. We believe in owning our narratives, in celebrating the diversity of our Robinson, (*open mic opportunity) diaspora and identities. Most of all, we believe in being loud. Debris So come and catch some of the most exciting rising stars of poetry perform alongside Stevenson, some of the UK’s biggest and most original spoken word artists in this electrifying live We bring you finger-licking good samosas and heart-warming spoken word poetry. & more poetry event. Showcasing some of UniSlam’s most notable alumni, Ife Grillo and Ellen Headlining are the core collective members, Shagufta Iqbal, Amani Saeed, Afshan Renton, supporting spoken word legends Roger Robinson, Debris Stevenson and D’Souza, and Shareefa Energy, who will be joined by the talented Rupinder Kaur Maria Ferguson. and Nafeesa Hamid. Afterward, singer songwriter, Amrit Kaur Lohia will be gracing the stage with her trademark fusion blend of Punjabi folk, RnB and Soul. Expect the sharing of incredible poetry, food, and music. Everyone is invited! SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH Verve is a four day festival in the heart of Birmingham Meet your favourite poets and discover new ones. It’s city centre, 5 seconds walk from the shiny New Street the friendly, down to earth, cosmopolitan and deliciously Time Event Description Price Location SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH Station. We’ve programmed the very best contemporary bold festival you’ve heard everyone talking about. Most 10:00 AM - UniSlam Writers’ block getting in your way? Inner critic doing your head in? Or could you £20 Dressing Room poetry all in one building. Hear award-winning poets importantly, we want Verve to for everyone: whether Time Event Description Price Location 12:00 PM Workshop: just use a bit of fresh inspiration? Join Vanessa Kisuule and Toby Campion for £13.50 One at The Old Shut up and this collaborative, welcoming workshop designed to help you shake off the dust, (con) Rep Theatre and local legends sharing the same stage. Attend you’ve been writing for years or are just starting out; 10:00 AM - Carrie Etter Welcome to the Prose Poem: As interest in prose poetry reaches new heights with the £20 Dressing Room write! approach poetry in new ways and most importantly, get writing! Run in association workshops open to all levels. Experience genre-defying whether you’ve attended every festival on the circuit or with UniSlam, the UK National University Poetry Slam. 12:00 PM Workshop publication of The Penguin Book of the Prose Poem, this seminar will explore the form £13.50 One at The Old performances. Bring the house down at a spoken word this is your first. with an array of exciting examples, address its distinctness from flash fiction, and offer (con) Rep Theatre an exercise to help you compose your own. Carrie taught The Poetry School’s first 10:30 AM - Vahni Award-winning poet Vahni Capildeo leads a workshop on eco-poetry, a subject £20 Dressing Room and music gig. Brave an open mic. course on the form in 2005 and has been teaching Sudden Prose: The Short-Short 12:30 PM Capildeo close to her heart. Join this visionary poet in delving deep into writing about the £13.50 Two at The Old Rep Theatre VERVE POETRY FESTIVAL Story and Prose Poem at Bath Spa University since the same year. Workshop environment, geography and space. For all levels and not to be missed! (con)

10:30 AM- Bernadine A practical writing workshop exploring narrative poetry and verse fiction. You’ll £20 Dressing Room 11:00 AM - The Going now for over four years and having featuring some 150 poets £6 Main Stage at 12.30 PM Evaristo look at how to write poetry that draws on some of the key elements of fiction such as £13.50 Two at The Old 12:30 PM Proletarian proletarianpoetry.com featured poems which address what it is like living in today’s £4 (con) The Old Rep SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18TH (CONTINUED) Workshop characterisation, plot, setting and dialogue. (con) Rep Theatre Poetry febrile political climate. They cover themes such as football, capitalism, politics, Theatre Showcase refugees and war. The website is run, and the event will be hosted, by Peter Raynard, Time Event Description Price Location 11:00 AM - Verve Poetry The Verve Competition winners reading, commissioned poets performing and a new FREE Main Stage at who has invited Amir Darwish, Rishi Dastidar, Nadia Drews, Anna Robinson, and Julia 12:30 PM Festival 2019 Verve book launch, all in one lively event! Come hear poets reading from the brand (must be The Old Rep Webb to showcase their work. 4:30 PM - Second ‘Playground’ is a full-length poetry and spoken word show that captures the sounds £6 Main Stage at Competition: new Verve Poetry Press anthology of poems on the theme of ‘Community’. All hosted booked Theatre 5:30 PM City Poets: and experiences of growing up alongside friends and strangers. Featuring performers £4 (con) The Old Rep Community by competition judge, Joelle Taylor. - four per 1:00 PM - Verve Verve’s very first Poet of the Festival is Sumita Chakraborty, a Forward-shortlisted £6 Main Stage at ‘Playground’ who went to school in five different countries, ‘Playground’ highlights not just how Theatre person) 1:45 PM Poet of the poet and recipient of a Ruth Lilley and Dorothy Sargent Fellowship from the Poetry £4 (con) The Old Rep universal some of those experiences are but also how adult life features its own kind Festival, Solo Foundation, who visits us from the US. She honours us with a solo reading of her Theatre of playground dynamics: camaraderie, isolation, reprieve and much, much more. 1:00 PM - The First In this debut performance lecture, poet Anthony Anaxagorou will deconstruct, using £6 Main Stage at Reading: 2:00 PM Verve Annual £4 (con) The Old Rep remarkable long poem, ‘Dear, Beloved’; a vivid, moving epic about love, grief, and The Second City poets are last year’s winners of UniSlam, from the University of a variety of artistic and academic modes, some of the ways ‘performance poetry’ Sumita family. Birmingham. ‘Playground’ has been created for Verve. Performance has been defined in both traditional and contemporary periods. He will ask what Theatre Chakraborty Lecture in makes the performance of a poem distinct from its reading, and whether there is 6:00 PM - Moniza Alvi, Our penultimate event at this year’s Verve is our Sunday night poetry headliner, £6 Main Stage at association perhaps something more insidious behind such terminologies that denote class, race, 1:00 PM - Sabotage: Charley Barnes, Managing Director of Sabotage Reviews, will run this one-off £20 Dressing Room 7:30 PM Alison featuring readings and discussion with three poets we’re thrilled to feature. Moniza £4 (con) The Old Rep with the and otherness. Referencing the work of John Cage, Saul Williams, Audre Lorde, Kate 3:00 PM Review workshop detailing what makes a stellar (Sabotage) review! Charley will be sampling £13.50 One at The Old Brackenbury, Alvi is one of poetry’s national treasures. Her collection At The Time Of Partition Theatre Poetry School Tempest, Adrian Mitchell, and many more, this talk will set out to unpack the bulging Writing from previously published Sabotage pieces to show attendees what it takes to write an (con) Rep Theatre Jacob Sam-La (2013) was enthralling and was followed in 2018 by the wonderful Blackbird, Bye suitcase of poetic performance, and ask to what extent we are all, as writers and Workshop informed, respectful, but sharp review of prose, poetry, and much more. If you want to Rose Bye. Jacob Sam-la Rose is a force of nature in verse, but is so busy educating and readers, participating in a kind of a mass social, affective performance. take steps into the review world, this workshop will lay the basic foundations for what working with young poets that he rarely gets to read himself. We are in for a treat! you need to write, and how. And what to say about Alison Brackenbury? Nine collections in, we are honoured that The Annual Verve Performance Lecture invites a poet, not necessarily a seasoned she has agreed to launch her 2019 Selected Poems, Gallop (Carcanet) at Verve! lecturer, to create a 50min presentation fusing academic discourse with poetry and 1:30 PM - Jacob Sam- Join renowned poet, passionate educator and facilitator Jacob Sam-La Rose for an £20 Dressing Room spoken word, on a subject of their choosing. Brought to you in association with the 3:30 PM La Rose inspirational and practical workshop open to writers of all levels. You’re sure to leave £13.50 Two at The Old This event is supported by the University of Wolverhampton. Poetry School. Workshop with new approaches to your own practice of poetry. (con) Rep Theatre 8:00 PM - Funkenteleky Birmingham’s most irregular poetry & music night swings by for some extra verve. £6 Main Stage at This event is supported and co-produced by The Poetry School. 2:15 PM - Burning Bristol based backroom press Burning Eye Books brings a group of best-loved and £6 Main Stage at 10:00 PM Verve Special Featured poets Polarbear, Jasmine Gardosi, Kareem Parkins-Brown and Bethany Slinn £4 (con) The Old Rep 4:00 PM Eye Books internationally renowned performance poets to Verve. Showcasing the big names and £4 (con) The Old Rep (*open mic opportunity) intertwine their electric verse with the playing of acclaimed improvising musicians, Theatre 1:00 PM - YoniVerse The Yoniverse (a spoken word collective of South Asian womxn) will host a writing £20 Dressing Room Showcase titles of 2017-18 including Toby Champion, Vanessa Kisuule, Scott Tyrrell and Nora Theatre led by virtuoso saxophonist Xhosa Cole. Join this legendary line-up of local and 3:00 PM Collective workshop to accompany the magical night that is Golden Tongue! This is a chance for £13.50 One at The Old Gomringer. national performers for a series of daring, one-time-only collaborations. And witness Workshop writers of ALL levels to connect, grow, and support the work of poets in the city. The (con) Rep Theatre further poetic jeopardy in the inaugural, exhilarating, brief, and portmanteau-happy workshop will take you on a series of writing exercises to explore writing techniques, 4:00 PM - Liz Berry What magic can a poem make? What spells can we cast with our words? Join two £20 Dressing Room Verveteleky Slam – where the musicians are the judges and everyone breaks the rules. share your work in a nurturing and fun environment, to discuss ideas, and engage with 6:00 PM Workshop: time Forward Prize-winning poet Liz Berry for a workshop full of poems which seek to £13.50 One at The Old Come celebrate Verve 2019 with an unmissable finale of poetry, melody, and zero the work of other poets, and of course to eat ladoo. Spells and make something happen - spells curses, hexes. Come ready to read, write and make (con) Rep Theatre preconceptions. Anything could happen and the word for this is Funkenteleky. Hosted Incantations magic. Suitable for poets of all stages. by Jack Crowe and David Ferris. Tunes spun by Wolva Meme.

Birmingham, B5 4DY 4DY B5 Birmingham, The Old Rep Theatre, 45 Station Street Station 45 Theatre, Rep Old The POET BIOS A BIRMINGHAM FESTIVAL OF POETRY AND SPOKEN WORD POLARBEAR JOELLE TAYLOR SHAGUFTA IQBAL Steven Camden is a writer from Birmingham who moved to

VICTORIA ADUKWEI BULLEY London for a girl. His debut young adult novel Tape was published is an award winning spoken word artist, poet, playwright and vervepoetryfestival.com RISHI DASTIDAR is an award-winning artist and poet who uses arts to reach out and is a British-born Ghanaian poet whose work has appeared widely author. She has performed across the UK as well as internationally

has been published by Financial Times, New Scientist and the BBC engage with audiences who feel their experiences are not reflected worldwide in January 2014 by HarperCollins to rave reviews and in journals including The Poetry Review, in addition to BBC Radio gigging at venues from the 100 Club, the 02 Arena, the Royal 019 2 amongst many others. His debut collection Ticker-tape is published within traditional and mainstream arts. Described by Gal Dem as a his second novel, It’s About Love published in June 2015, was

4 Woman’s Hour. She is an Eric Gregory Award winner, and has by Nine Arches Press, and a poem from it was included in The poet whose work ‘leaves you validated but aching – her narratives Book of the Month for The Guardian. His third novel Nobody Real Festival Hall to the Royal Court, Buckingham Palace and various

held artist residencies in London, the USA and Brazil. Victoria is Forward Book of Poetry 2018. A member of Malika’s Poetry Kitchen, are important, heart-wrenching and relatable.’ Her poetry collection is published in May 2018. His collection of spoken word stories prisons. She was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Society Arts in FEBRUARY the director of MOTHER TONGUES, a poetry, film and translation

he is also chair of the London writer development organisation Jam Is For Girls, Girls Get Jam (Burning Eye) has been recommended Everything All At Once will be published by Macmillan in July 2018. 2015 as well as being named as one of Southbank Centre’s Nelson project supported by Arts Council England.

Spread The Word. by Nikesh Shukla as ‘a social political masterclass.’ She is the His debut collection for adults, The Second City Trilogy, will be Mandela Change Makers for positively affecting cultural Britain. She is the judge of our 2019 competition on the theme of community. 14TH-17TH 14TH-17TH founder of The YoniVerse Collective. published by Verve Poetry Press in November 2018.

SCOTT TYRRELL MONIZA ALVI RUPINDER KAUR has been a poet and performer since the turn of the century. An NADIA DREWS PETER RAYNARD was born in Pakistan and grew up in Hertfordshire. She has published is a Birmingham born Panjabi poet and biomedical science student grew up in San Francisco sun and Greater Manchester mizzle. She is is the author of two books of poetry. His debut collection Precarious award-winning comedian, creative director and multiple slam- nine collections of poetry, three of which have been shortlisted for with an immense love for South Asian arts. She sees writing and a former Farrago Poetry Slam Champion who protests through songs was published by Smokestack in April 2018, and The Combination: winning poet. He has performed his work at Glastonbury, the the T.S. Eliot Prize. Her most recent collection Blackbird, Bye Bye reading poetry as a way to liberate the soul. Rupinder is known for and plays including the pub-staged ‘I Love Vinegar Vera (What a poetic coupling of the Communist Manifesto, published by Culture Edinburgh Fringe, the Prague Fringe, Kendal Calling, WOMAD, (Bloodaxe, 2018) explores grief, immigration and art through an speaking her mind and this is reflected in her poems. In Rooh, her becomes of the Broken Hearted)’. She has made a movement into Matters, June 2018. He is the editor of Proletarian Poetry, associate Larmer Tree and the Cheltenham Literature Festival. He has written engagement with birds. Moniza received a Cholmondeley Award for debut poetry collection from Verve Poetry Press, she takes us on a poems and is currently working on a collection for Culture Matters to editor of Culture Matters, and member of Malika’s Poetry Kitchen. for TV, radio .He lives in Newcastle with his wife, son, a goldfish, poetry in 2002. be published later this year. poetic journey that transcends borders and arbitrary boundaries. a one-eyed cat and a small fluffy dog. His collection Honest was released in summer 2018.

ANTHONY ANAXAGOROU INUA ELLAMS ELLEN RENTON is a British-born Cypriot award-winning poet, fiction writer, essayist, was born in Nigeria and is an award winning poet, playwright & AMY KEY is an Edinburgh-born poet who has performed her work at venues JULIA WEBB publisher and poetry educator. He has published nine volumes of founder of the Midnight Run. Identity, Displacement & Destiny are had her first collection, Luxe, published by Salt in 2013. Her second across the UK including the Scottish Parliament, Leith Theatre and the graduated from UEA’s poetry MA in 2010. She works for Gatehouse poetry, a spoken-word EP and a collection of short stories. His work reoccurring themes in his work in which he mixes the old with the book-length collection, Isn’t Forever, a Poetry Book Society Wild Roundhouse. In 2016 she released her debut audio collection with Press and is a poetry editor for Lighthouse. Her work has most has appearly widely on television and in print. He was won multiple new, traditional with the contemporary. His books are published by Card Choice, was published by Bloodaxe in June 2018. From Spring backing from the Young Scot Nurturing Talent Fund. As a member of recently appeared in Ambit, Cake and The Moth. Her first collection awards, most recently being shortlisted for the Jerwood Compton Flipped Eye, Akashic, Nine Arches & Oberon. 2018 - Spring 2019 she is joint poet-in-residence, alongside Rebecca spoken word theatre company In The Works, she has co-written two Bird Sisters was published by Nine Arches Press in 2016, Here Poetry Fellowship. He is founder of Out-Spoken, spoken word night Perry, at Halsway Manor, the National Centre for Folk Arts. Edinburgh Fringe shows. second collection Threat will be published by Nine Arches in 2019. and press.

SHAREEFA ENERGY VANESSA KISUULE LIZ BERRY is a London based spoken word artist, perfromance poet, writer, and is a writer, performer, burlesque artist and general empress of blag ANNA ROBINSON JANE YEH was a PBS Recommendation, received a Somerset Maugham Award workshop facilitator. Shareefa Energy has broken many stereotypes based in Bristol. She has won over 10 slam titles, most recently The is a poet from London. Her books The Finders of London (2010) had first collection of poems, Marabou (2005), shortlisted for the and won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Award and Forward Prize for of women who grew up in the Muslim community and pushed Roundhouse Slam 2014, Hammer and Tongue National Slam 2014 and Into the Woods (2014) are published by Enitharmon Press. Whitbread, Forward, and Aldeburgh poetry prizes. Her second Best First Collection for her debut, Black Country (Chatto 2014). Her boundaries. She released her debut spoken word EP ‘Reasoning and the Nuoryican Poetry Slam in New York. She occasionally does The Finders of London was shortlisted for the Seamus Heaney collection, The Ninjas, was published in 2012. She was a judge latest pamphlet The Republic of Motherhood (Chatto, 2018) was a with Self’ produced by Meandou in 2015. Her poetry featured on rap battles under the monika of Shonda Rhymez .She has released Centre’s Poetry Prize in 2011. Her next title Whatsname Street will be for the 2013 National Poetry Competition and was named a Next PBS Pamphlet Choice and the title poem won the Forward Prize for Channel 4 for National Poetry Day 2015. She is also the founder of two poetry collections with Burning Eye Books – Joyriding the Storm publsihed by Smokestack. Generation poet by the Poetry Book Society in 2014. Best Single Poem.

the 2014 storytelling spoken word play ‘Wombs Cry.’ (2013) and A Recipe for Sorcery (2017).

of Poetry & Spoken Word Spoken & Poetry of A Birmingham Festival Birmingham A ALISON BRACKENBURY CARRIE ETTER ROGER ROBINSON was born in Lincolnshire in 1953. She now lives in Gloucestershire, American expatriate Carrie Etter has published four collections of AFSHAN D’SOUZA-LODHI is a writer who has performed worldwide and is an experienced where she works as a director and manual worker in the family metal poetry, most recently Imagined Sons (Seren, 2014), shortlisted for is the Editor in Chief of TCS Network. Afshan is an award-winning workshop leader and lecturer on poetry. His one-man shows finishing business. Her Carcanet collections include Dreams of Power the Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry, and The Weather in writer of plays and poetry, and was recently commissioned to write are: ‘The Shadow Boxer’; ‘Letter from My Father’s Brother’; and (1981), Breaking Ground (1984), Christmas Roses (1988), 1829 Normal (US: Station Hill; UK: Seren, 2018), a Poetry Book Society and direct a short film for Channel 4. Afshan’s debut poetry collection ‘Prohibition’. He was chosen by Decibel as one of 50 writers who BUY YOUR (1995), After Beethoven (2000) and Bricks and Ballads (2004). Her Recommendation. She also writes fiction, essays, and reviews. She is on desire comes out soon. As well as her own writing, Afshan is keen have influenced the black-British writing canon. He is an alumni of work recently won a Cholmondeley Award. Alison will be launching Reader in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University and also teaches to develop other younger and emerging artists and sits on the boards The Complete Works, was shortlisted for The OCM Bocas Poetry her forthcoming selected poems Gallop (Carcanet) at Verve. for The Poetry School and Poetry Swindon. of Manchester Literature Festival and Brighter Sound. Prize and was highly commended by the Forward Poetry Prize 2013. TICKETS ONLINE TOBY CAMPION Bernadine Evaristo AMANI SAEED is a UK Poetry Slam Champion and World Poetry Slam Finalist. He British-Nigerian writer Bernardine Evaristo is the award-winning AMRIL KUAR LOHIA is a London-born American-British-Indian-Middle-Eastern-etc has performed on stages across the UK and around the world, from author of eight books of fiction and verse fiction that explore aspects Born into a Sikh family in Tottenham, Amrit Kaur is a singer- spoken word artist. She is a member The Yoniverse Collective and Glastonbury Festival to South Korea’s National Assembly. An award- of the African diaspora including Girl, Woman, Other (Penguin songwriter, Sarangi player and vocalist in genres of Punjabi folk, R&B has worked with the Roundhouse, the BBC, and the Huffington Post, winning poet and playwright, his debut poetry collection, Through 2019). She founded the Brunel International African Poetry Prize in and soul. She also plays the Mbira (Zimbabwe) and Dilruba. Based among others. Amani’s work brings the big issues to your kitchen your blood, was published by Burning Eye Books in 2017 and his 2012 and The Complete Works poets of colour development scheme in London, she tours internationally as a performer, educator and table. Amani’s poetry has been described as ‘electric,’ ‘strident,’ and EMAIL: work has been broadcast on BBC Radio 2, Channel 4, BBC1 2007-2017. She is Vice Chair of the Royal Society of Literature and social entrepreneur. ‘brave.’ Her debut collection, SPLIT has been published by Burning [email protected] and more. Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University London. Eye Books.

JACOB SAM-LA ROSE TWITTER: WEB: MARIA FERGUSON has several poetry collections, including Communion and Breaking @vervepoetryfest vervepoetryfestival.com VAHNI CAPILDEO has been a resident artist for Roundhouse and Battersea Arts Centre, THERESA LOLA Silence. Dominant themes in his work include Black-British/African- has published six books and four pamphlets of poetry including and commissioned by Royal Academy of Art and Radio One. Her is a British Nigerian Poet. She was shortlisted for the 2017 Bridport Caribbean culture, ritual and tradition, faith, mythology and hybridity. Measures of Expatriation, awarded the Forward Prize for Best debut show, ‘Fat Girls Don’t Dance’, won the Saboteur Award for Poetry Prize and was joint-winner of the 2018 Brunel International Current work explores coding as a tool or catalyst for authoring Collection in 2016. Capildeo held the Judith E. Wilson Poetry Best Spoken Word Show 2017 and is published by Oberon Books. African Poetry Prize. She is an alumni of the Barbican Young Poets poems. Responsible for the Barbican Young Poets programme Fellowship and the Harper-Wood Studentship at Cambridge. She is She is currently working on her debut poetry collection and new Programme. Her debut collection In Search of Equilibrium will be and a slew of other London-wide, national and international currently a Douglas Caster Cultural Fellow at the University of Leeds. show, Essex Girl. released by Nine Arches Press in February 2019. poetry initiatives, Jacob Sam-La Rose is widely recognised as an indefatigable creative producer, facilitator and mentor.

THE SECOND CITY POETS SUMITA CHAKRABORTY JASMINE GARDOSI are Sean Colletti (born in America), Anne Gill (born in Wales), Kimberley Knaggs (born in Vietnam), Hannah Ledlie (born in is poetry editor of AGNI Magazine and art editor of At Length, and is a multiple slam champion, BBC Slam finalist and Birmingham Poet RACHEL LONG Scotland) and Hannah Swingler (born in England). Along with Verve VIP is our new friendship scheme. A way for holds a doctorate in English from Emory University. She received a Laureate finalist. Having previously appeared on BBC Radio 3’s is a poet, & the founder of Octavia - Poetry Collective for Womxn of Mikey Barnes, various members competed in and won UniSlam us to reward our most ardent supporters – a way for Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship from the Poetry The Verb, BBC Asian Network and at Glastonbury Festival, she has Colour, who are housed at Southbank Centre, London. She is cotutor 2018 and performed at CUPSI 2018 in Philadelphia. They will also Foundation in 2017 and was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best received an Honorable Mention from Button Poetry as Outstanding on the Barbican Young Poets programme. you to help us establish ourselves as a regular and Single Poem by the Forward Arts Foundation in 2018. Sumita will be International Entry in their 2017 video contest. be competing in the Hammer & Tongue 2019 finals. ‘Playground’ is sustainable fixture on the poetry calendar. the first ever Verve Poet of the Festival. their first show. They are more than friends and fellow poets – they are family.

SHRUTI CHAUHAN NORA GOMRINGER ANDREW MCMILLIAN OWEN SHEERS What you get: A one off joining fee will get you 3 is a British Indian poet and performer based in Leicester. She has won is one of Germany’s best known and loved contemporary poets. Her won The Guardian First Book Award with his debut, physical. He was is a widley translated and critically acclaimned poet, author and years’ membership of our special poetry club. There writing blurs the boundaries between performance and page poetry, the first to ever do so with a poetry collection. Most recently physical playwright. His second novel, I Saw A Man, was published by

slams internationally in Chicago and Mumbai, and has performed SPONSORS will be discounts, special events, trendy badges, sneak across the world. She is an MGCfutures bursary recipient and one as well as often intersecting with other art forms, from film to music has been translated into Norwegian (Aschehoug, 2017) and a Faber & Faber in June 2015. His BAFTA and Grierson nominated previews and more. Plus the special warm feeling of of 200 British BAME writers featured in Speaking Volumes’ Breaking and visual art. She’s won a number of awards for from the Jacob bi-lingual French edition, Le Corps Des Hommes (Grasset, 2018). His film-poem,The Green Hollow was published in April 2018 by Faber, Grimm German Language Prize in 2011 to the prestigious Ingeborg second collection is playtime (Jonathan Cape, 2018) . He is senior who in July also published his BBC film-poem to mark the 70th knowing you have helped your favourite poetry festival Grounds publication. Shruti is currently developing her debut solo show, ‘The Sky Diaries’, as a Breakthrough Artist at Curve Theatre. Bachmann Award in 2015. lecturer at the Manchester Writing School at MMU. anniversary of the NHS, To Provide All People. (or one of them) strengthen and sustain.

What we get: All fees will be ploughed back into the festival, helping us to establish ourselves at our SOPHIE COLLINS IFE GRILLO is a 20-year-old poet and campaigner from Hackney. His poetry MOMTAZA MEHRI new venue and continue to improve our programme grew up in Bergen, North Holland, and now lives in Edinburgh. She BETHANY SLINN is co-editor of tender, an online arts quarterly, and editor of Currently explores the ugly-beauty of everyday life while making you laugh is a poet and essayist. She won 3rd prize in the 2017 National Poetry each year. It will also support and sustain our outreach and think. He’s a Hammer&Tongue National Finalist, a Genesis Slam Competition and is a co-winner of the 2018 Brunel International Who am I? is a question Bethany asks often, from one of her The Poetry School Bare Fiction & Emotion (Test Centre, 2016), an anthology of contemporary poetry personalities to no-one at all. Her poetry asks Who are we? And how programme beginning in the Spring of 2019. translations. small white monkeys, a text on self-expression, self-help Champion, a Roundhouse Youth Slam Finalist and won an Individual African Poetry Prize. She is the current Young People’s Laureate for award at the 2018 UK University Slam Championships. Ife won the London and a columnist-in-residence at the San Francisco Museum do I fit into that? She works across poetry, movement and theatre, and shame, was published by Book Works in 2017 as part of a having performed throughout Birmingham and the UK; recently We will even give you regular updates on what we spend commissioned residency at Glasgow Women’s Library. Who Is Mary 2016 World School Debating Championships and is the former Vice- of Modern Art’s Open Space. Chair of the British Youth Council. writing Autin DT’s ‘Queer Words’ for its run at the Edinburgh Fringe. them on. Find more info on our website on how you can Sue? is her first poetry collection. become a Verve VIP and for a full list of special benefits. DEBRIS STEVENSON AMIR DARWISH KAREEM PARKINS-BROWN Dyslexic-Writer, Grime Poet, Working-Class Academic, Pansexual is a British Syrian poet & writer of Kurdish origin who lives in London. NAFEESA HAMID is a poet from North West London whose work has featured at Ex-Mormon and Bashment Dancing Social Activist from the seam Born in Aleppo & came to Britain as an asylum seeker in 2003. Amir is a British Pakistani poet and playwright based in Birmingham. Her Beatfreeks Collective Waterstones Birmingham venues across the city like Barbican, Tate Britain and the Royal between East London and Essex: it’s not that simple. Her passion has an MA in International Relations of the Middle East from Durham work covers taboo themes such as sex, domestic violence and mental health, using personal experience as a basis for her writing. She has Academy of Arts. His desert island films are Mean Girls, Carlito’s for nurturing and educating poetic communities started with The University, UK and a BA in history from Teesside University, UK. He Way and Serpico. He can be found making work from the venn published his work in the UK, USA, Pakistan, India, Finland, Turkey, featured at Outspoken (London), Poetry is Dead Good (Nottingham), Mouthy Poets. Debris has since been awarded over £250,000 Find the Right Words (Leicester) and Hit The Ode (Birmingham). diagrams of black-masculinity, but ultimately he is still finding the by Arts Council England to develop young talent. Debris is now Canada, Singapore & Mexico. Currently, he is doing an MA in answer to, “So, what do you write about?” creative and life writing at Goldsmiths University, London. Besharam is Nafeesa’s debut collection from Verve Poetry Press. working on her debut grime-poetry show at The Royal Court Theatre commissioned by 14/18 Now and The Jerwood Foundation.

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